Verr
Biology They are relativity simple life forms compared to the other races with a simple structure that is not unlike a bag of jelly. Organs are contained within intercellular fluid and secured within a vast enlarged version of a cytoskeleton. As a result, the base form is weak and open to attack. The membrane that holds their insides can be easily burst, especially with, say, a huge water. The pressure will be enough to burst the membrane and if they are not killed by that, the difference in osmotic pressure will destroy the inner structure of their bodies. But this does have advantages as well. Replication is easier in this form. The Verr replicate asexually, via mitosis, as why bring in the advantages in evolutionary development in sexual reproduction when you can simply be born with the ability to shape shift as the environment dictates? However this requires a great amount of energy, to form new structures and tissue spontaneously, and it is rare for a Verr to shapeshift more than two times in the course of one day, lest it consumes itself by shapeshifting without constraint. Those who do so are known as insane, or as 'Cravers'. Other than that, they consume food via endocytosis with sieve-like structures that catch microbes in the dirt. It has been seen that the Verr also thrive in a polluted environment. They use the increased carbon, methane, etc, content in the air and ground and take it in to be broken down for more energy. As a result, a cloud of miasma can always be seen where the Verr have been and many viruses and other nasties use the Verr as vectors, and sometimes also as symbiotes. They also seem to be able to manipulate energy into a form of magic. Life Cycle The Verr are usually born in the form the Aask took when they were first formed, then mature into Verr. When this happens, the individual is usually expected to go on pilgrimage via starwhale to the moon that M'endar created to mediate on their gifts they receive on the onset of 'puberty', after five years as a larvae. They mediate on what Path their lives will take, or if they even choose a Path at all, for with all the bonuses they receive, once they have taken a Path, all their biomass is forced on the purpose of the Path and they cannot reproduce. Those who reject the Path risk being stigmatised by those who have, but ensure the future of the race. The Paths are as follows: *''Path of the Producer'' - These noble ones use their very own biomass to create structures for the settlements of the Verr. *''Path of the Performer'' - Those who bring relief to the masses through music and dance. These change their shape to please others, through music, dance or other means. *''Path of the Prophet ''- The priest caste. They take the form of M'endar and spread its word, regarded as the window to the Whispering Worm by others. *''Path of the Phantom'' - The spies of the Verr. These move among the other races on Evalon, making note of their ways and customs, using their shapeshifting powers to blend in. *''Path of the Peon'' - The workhorses. Viewed with respect as they are the ones that make Verr society possible. *''Path of the Protean'' - Those who choose to stay atop Oculus Obscuritatis, as guardians, watching out for any tidal activity that may threaten the Verr. *''Path of the Phalanx'' - The standing army of the Verr. These use their shapeshifing powers to defend their kind when necessary. They have a short time to reach the apex of their Path, only about fifty years of lifespan. Currently, a quarter of the Verr population has taken up a Path, though a small minority has fallen into the eighth forbidden Path, the Path of the Craver: *''Path of the Praedatorius'' - whose who seek to consume everything and anything to sate their hunger, caused by overindulgence of shapeshifting. These are usually killed on sight. Shadowbeast.jpg|Phantom in Base Form Prophet by Solaxe.jpg|Prophet Protean_by_Ing213.jpg|Protean Inclinations and Culture An ancient race that crawled the ground on the mortal plane before any other, but one getting used to their new abilities, as they are far from the shapeless blobs that they were before. A strangle secular species that worships its creator more out of gratitude than anything else. Nevertheless, they have quickly settled into their new role, but are conflicted in some way. Once they were simply sentient purifiers to make the way for new life on the then newly created planet, but now they thrive in corrupted places. This can be seen in their society as they are divided by the Paths they choose. They are a migrant people, moving from place to place with caravans made of their very bodies and driven by those who have chosen to take up that Path. They also still believe in the same afterlife, Nos, however there are a few differences. The seven doors with seven seals have been opened and have been revealed to be the resting place of those who choose a Path. Oceanside burials still take place as well. Tradition is very much a sample of Verr society, otherwise the caste system they currently employ would break down in a fraction of the time it took to set up. The term for the whole population of Verr in any given place is a 'Collective'. Currently, there are two major Collectives, the Eva'li Collective and the Ys'i Collective. Both vary in culture. The Eva'li Collective sees itself as the old guard, and waits for the moment Evalon is theirs once again, while the Ys'i Collective believes that with their spacefaring continent, they will spread across the universe. Relations with Other Species They mostly watch other species and are an enigmatic mystery to them. Bouts of land are found in a corrupted state, but no cause can be seen, as the Verr are long gone after that and only return after a year or so when the land has recovered. They mostly stick to the continent they were created on, avoiding the ocean that separates the landmasses out of a primal fear of drowning, probably from the Flood itself. In summary, they watch, listen, learn and wait. Bonuses and Flaws History The First Age and the Flood In the First Age, they existed as the Aask. They were the first race to be created, but there was a spanner in the works. Instead of their preposed destiny as vectors of disease, they were twisted by Seith so that they would purify the earth they crawled on. This angered M'endar, and lead to regard Seith with suspicion which would mark actions in future Ages. Created at almost the beginning of the universe - after the First Makings - they were vulnerable to the changes the gods were still making, shaping the young universe to their will. A young god by the name of Roe cried because of the pain that Disease had inflicted on him in the battle that ensued after the First Folly. A tear fell into Evalon - then known as Roe, after the child god - and caused a great flood, know as the Flood. M'endar choose to save the Aask, cradling them in its arms. The Aask themselves are forever marked by this event, as stories of it are handed down each generation and is forever held in the Aask's collective memory. Even now, they there are somewhat vulnerable to the element of water. The Second Age and the Grand Happenings In the Second Age, the Aask were transformed into the Verr, gaining new shapeshifitng abilites as well as other things. Additionally, the Verr became M'endar's patron race, as they felt grateful for being saved. As new races made their home in Evalon, the Verr found themselves trapped in a corner, in the continent of Almia, between the Dwarves in the West and the small settlement of humans in the Chama Peninsula, not to mention the influx of Ekiruru from Eld or the fleet of Human forces led by Olek that appeared by the end of the Second Age that were thankfully vanquished. Four Verr prayed for a land of their own, their names and rank have been passed down the ages: D'zil the Peon, Ktezr'Zsam the Phantom, Ks'ensilsh the Prophet and N'bedka the Phalanx. Their wish was granted - a floating continent named Ys was created on Salustutis. The Verr then migrated to it via starwhale, though some choose to stay on Evalon, or wander around on starwhales in large groups. This was called the Great Migration. Also, to Verr historians, this collective events are known as the Grand Happenings. The Third Age and the Grave Happenings Not much happened that directly affected the Verr apart from the repercussions of the Great Migiration which spilt the Verr into those that would stay on Evalon and those that would move to Ys - known as the Eva'li and the Ys'i respectively. However there was much fighting in the heavens that brought misery to those that reveared the gods. After the Age of Grand Happenings, now was a dark age of conflict and strife - the Grave Happening as they are known. But the more zealous of the Verr saw this was a sight of their patron deity's ascendary as the false gods fell. First was Seith, who was finally expelled from the world in a grand godbattle with M'endar at the vanguard. Then the Treemother fell victim to despair and ended herself rather than face the ill awaited wrath of the Deceiver and its ilk while Ailish's deception faultered and her true from was revealed to all - the form of a Void Beast. However, this brought only a small amount of happiness to the Verr as the chaos of these battles and of Eldarwen's final action was felt by all in the world, that only brought with a sensation of dread that anything else. Especially with M'endar being weakened as a result of the Seith War. The Verr awaited the return of the god from its sleep in its sanctum in Oculus Obscuritatis. As always the Protean stood guard over the gem of darkness and the moon itself, duty-bound to protecting the slumbering god within. Additionally, with the transformation of Salustutis into the Goliath, the links between it and Ys were severed, leaving Ys to drift freely in space. The Fourth Age and the Lull In the interlude between the ages, M'endar attempted to created a bed of fog on which Ys would propel itself on. This failed. With this failure, the Verr grew apathic. After all, if their god had failed, what could they achieve? With this apathy, the Verr let the revolution run its course, rather than becoming involvement themselves. However, they now plan on taking over the property of the younger races from the inside and that notion would mark the next Age. With this Age, reproduction rates hit their peak, as there was nought to do in this Ages as revolution swept the planet. As for Ys, the gathering of other races' technologies continued and it has become a hodgepodge place of steam technology and the organic technology of the Verr. Verr